She Came to Heal, Stayed to Conquer

”No problem, I’ll just go up and knock on the door.”

Han Lei waved her hand, her tone relaxed and natural.

As she spoke, she walked towards the stairs, her steps light, as if she were really just an ordinary woman looking for a friend.

The shopkeeper no longer stopped her, just nodded and leaned back over the counter to continue dozing off.

Han Lei went up to the second floor, where only two dim lanterns hung at the staircase, and snores of varying volumes echoed throughout the corridor.

Room Number One and Room Number Two at the end of the corridor, Han Lei stood at the staircase, her gaze sweeping across the corridor. After confirming there was nothing unusual, she lightly extinguished the corridor’s lights, crouched down, and scanned through the gap under the door.

Under every room door, it was pitch black, with no light seeping through, indicating that the guests inside had already turned off their lights and gone to sleep.

Han Lei drew the pistol from her waist but thought for a moment and put it back.

She still couldn’t be sure if the three assassins were staying here. If she accidentally harmed someone innocent with the pistol, it would be troublesome.

Weighing her options, Han Lei stood up, took out her phone, and played a prerecorded video, adjusting the volume to an appropriate level.

From the video came the soft and ambiguous sound of a man and woman talking, as if someone was truly secretly meeting in the corridor.

The woman’s voice was as soft as a feather, carrying some kind of allure.

”Do you really think this is okay? Aren’t we... being a bit too risky?”

The man’s voice was low and urgent: ”What’s there to be afraid of? No one knows us anyway. Besides, didn’t you always say you miss me?”

”You’re always like this... making it impossible to refuse.”

”Then don’t refuse. We’ve come this far anyway.”

”But there are people coming and going here. It’d be bad if someone saw us. Which room are you staying in? Or maybe...”

”...”

The conversation between the man and woman continued.

Han Lei put on a mask, checked the room numbers, and boldly walked to Room Number One and Room Number Two.

She took out two lit incense sticks from her bag and gently slipped them under the doors. Then she raised her hand to check her watch, pressing her ear against the door to listen for any activity inside.

In Room Number One, there was the sound of someone turning over, followed by a man’s muddled murmur: ”Hmm... why is it so noisy outside?”

Another voice lazily replied: ”Someone’s taking care of their business. Sleep, don’t meddle. We still have to scout again tomorrow.”

Then, the room returned to silence. Meanwhile, there was no noise at all from Room Number Two.

Han Lei silently snorted to herself.

Despite two companions being out of contact, the remaining assassins didn’t flee overnight. It seemed they were certain their companions wouldn’t betray them.

Han Lei waited for a full fifteen minutes, confirming the incense had taken effect, then pulled out a thin iron rod, gently unlatching the door from the gap.

The door opened silently. Han Lei didn’t enter immediately; she stood at the threshold, listening carefully to the room’s sounds.

Once she confirmed the people inside were unconscious, she turned on a small flashlight and entered.

Inside the room were two beds, one large and one small. Two men lay on the large bed, and one man slept on the small bed.

Han Lei searched the room, soon finding three sets of nightclothes under the bed. Her gaze turned icy, fury burning in her eyes, but she remained calm.

According to Hua Tianyou, they hid poison in their molars. She carefully removed the poison from their mouths, ensuring they couldn’t commit suicide upon waking.

Then she took out handcuffs, securing their hands and feet together, ensuring they couldn’t escape easily.

After finishing, Han Lei walked to the window and gently pushed it open. The night breeze brushed against her cheek, bringing a hint of coolness.

She glanced back at the three unconscious men on the bed, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes. But soon, she took a deep breath, climbed out the window, and vanished into the night.

The night remained deep and quiet, the streets still empty, as if nothing had happened.

Only the slightly ajar window on the second floor of Jinghua Inn hinted at all that had just occurred.

Jinghua Inn was only a few streets away from the Zhao family residence. Turning the corner, Han Lei took an electric scooter out from her bag.

The electric scooter ran silently, and Han Lei quickly returned home, called for a few servants, and had a carriage sent to the entrance of Jinghua Inn.

Hearing the commotion at the door, the shopkeeper raised his head from behind the counter.